A holidaymaker's guide to Hammamet, Tunisia
Step out of the meticulously manicured gardens that dot the many hotels and resorts in Yasmine Hammamet, and you will discover the city this popular resort enclave is attached to is a thriving hub of culture, cuisine and castles.
This historic city on Tunisia's Cap Bon peninsula is still the "place of hammam", as it was christened by the Arabs when they inherited it from the Romans. You will find plenty of wells, hammams and thalassotherapy spots in and around the Medina's sturdy confines. But wellness and resorts are not all that Hammamet* has to offer.
The Medina itself is a labyrinthine pool for the senses, with wafts of jasmine tea floating from open-window tea rooms and rows of colourful pottery tied precariously tied to shop walls.
Outside of it, Hammamet's attractions stretch from the core of the city to its outer confines, where the hotel district of Yasmine Hammamet* lies. The city also has the gift of walkability, with no attraction ever more than a 20-minute walk away.
Getting there: find breaks to Hammamet with Love Holidays*, which bundles flights and accommodation into affordable bundles.
Explore the Kasbah
The 9th-century square fort dominates the city's skyline with its imposing and impenetrable limestone walls. At its entrance is the bronze statue of the Three Mermaids, whose once bright cerulean colours have been washed out by time and the elements.
A tribute to Hammamet's connection to the Mediterranean for both its economy and society, the statue is the fulcrum of the main central roundabout leading to the heart of the Kasbah.
It's worth venturing inside the Kasbah, not just for the small ethnographic museum inside it, which lays out a brief history of Tunisia and its maritime settlements, but also for the splendid views of the glimmering blue sea from atop the walkable walls.
Take in Martyrs' Square
The antechamber to Hammamet's centre, Martyrs' Square (Place des Martyrs) is a tribute to those who lost their lives for Tunisian independence from 1952 to 1956.
The monument crowning the rectangular square is modelled after Paris's Eiffel Tower, a nod to the French rule under which Tunisia* was governed for 80 years prior to becoming independent.
Sit on one of the benches with a prime view of Hammamet Beach, people-watch surrounded by the city's many playful cats, or comfortably observe the hustle and bustle from one of the local bars on the square serving Tunisian and Turkish-style coffee.
Get lost in the Medina
Hammamet's Medina is home to a busy souk, the typical outdoor market selling wares from textiles and pottery to precious jewellery. Pay special attention, as you snake your way through the many narrow alleys, to the traditional doors.
Arched, painted in bright colours, adorned with copper bas-relief, or classic solid wood, they are a spectacular sight, making the streets of Hammamet an open-air museum.
Hammamet's Great Mosque is also within the city walls, and you can visit it outside of religious observation hours. It dates back to the 15th century, and its round cupolas are visible from the Kasbah walls.
The crenellated minaret captured the imagination of the artist Paul Klee, who depicted its ethereal outline in a watercolour now on display at the MET in New York City.
Relax on Hammamet Beach
As one of Tunisia's first tourist towns, Hammamet has looked after its beaches for centuries. About eight miles of coarse Mediterranean sand form the main beach, stretching north to south from the Kasbah to Yasmine Hammamet.
Hammamet Beach is free to access, though bringing your own sun-lounging gear is recommended. Though small and colourful fishing boats are moored by the outer edges, bathers can still swim without interfering.
If you want to get active, horseback riding is a popular beach activity, with qualified equestrian centres along the southern stretch, close to the ruins of the Pupput Roman Site.
Visit the Hammamet Cultural Centre
The 42 acres of the Hammamet Cultural Centre (also known as Dar Sebastian) revolve around one magnificent building: the George Sebastian Villa.
Once the home of a wealthy Romanian magnate, this 1920s' palace, with its own six-metre pool and concrete amphitheatre, now hosts photography and contemporary art exhibitions, as well as cultural events.
It's still worth visiting this enchanting corner of Hammamet outside the main event season in summer, when you can roam peacefully on the patches of Mediterranean shrub filled with cacti, agaves, and palms of all shapes and sizes.
Strolling through the greenery, you will find sculptures, both small and large, forming an informal trail, enriched by poems painted on stones (often in French and Arabic).
Wander the groves of the Citrus Museum
Located within the cultural centre, this is not your average museum space. Olive groves are your walls, and centenary citrus trees are your knowledgeable guides. The Citrus Museum is, first and foremost, a grove.
You get to experience it en plein air, by walking directly on the earth, and getting a firsthand feel for the multitude of citrus fruits, from lemons, tangerines, and oranges to bergamot, cedar, grapefruit and kumquat.
It is as much an immersive experience as it is an informative one, as you are encouraged to interact with the gorgeous Mediterranean trees, each bearing an information card that tells you more about the citrus fruit it grows.
Go back in time at the Pupput Roman Site
Before it was called Hammamet, the city was established as a Roman colony by the name of Pupput. This small archaeological site, though remarkably unmaintained, offers a rare opportunity to walk around floor mosaics and see, up close, patterns in pristine condition, and others more evidently bearing the marks of time.
The walk from the Kasbah to Pupput directly on the beach makes for a splendid rendezvous. But you can also use a taxi to get there, or enjoy a walk through the city. Start from its historic core, pass its façades and roll through the residential areas of Hammamet, a local playground of cafés, shisha bars and brik carts.
Climate in Hammamet
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum daytime temperature °C |  15 |
17 |
 18 |
20 |
 24 |
 28 |
 32 |
32 |
29 |
25 |
20 |
17 |
| Hours of sunshine (daily) | ||||||||||||
| Days with some rainfall |  10 |
 8 |
9 |
8 |
 6 |
 3 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
8 |
10 |
| Sea temperature °C |  16 |
 15 |
15 |
16 |
 18 |
 22 |
 25 |
 26 |
26 |
24 |
 21 |
18 |
The above guide shows the climate in Hammamet. Find out more about conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in Tunisia.
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